The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-08
A QUESTION OF SKIRTS.
Newark Society Girls Facing an Interesting
Problem.


While the wind howled with true Jersey
melancholy through Newark's streets, last night,
merry party sat in comfortable room of one
of the towns most comfortable houses busy
with preparations for the presentation of 1.-THE
Chimes of Normandy"in Miners Theater, next
Wednesday evening for the benefit of the Girls
Friendly Society of Trinity Protestant Episco-
pal Church Mater familias and her daughters
other diaphanous fabric. Daughter No. 8
was scanning the evening papers. An
other girl visitor with intellectual
face. graced with eyeglasses and
looking for all the world like Boston maiden
chatted first with and then another. Two
three callers dropped in, and the talk rippled
like the shadows that murmur while the
deep is dumb For long time the girl with the
tiently she stopped the elatter. and, rising from
her chair, told the company that it was down.
right shame.
''What2" queried all.
''This," said the maiden, "this about our
skirts" And then she told them that in cold
| type it recorded that the management of
| 1.-The Chimes of Normandy" enterprise had de-
| cided that the dresses of the young church
| women in the chorus should be cut off thirteen
| inches from the floor. whereat the maidens had
| revolted and determined that the skirts should
| come at least to within eleven inches of the
floor.
''lsnt it perfectly dreadful" exclaimed tho
reader. in heseeching, yet indignant, tone.
that the newspapers should talk about such
things" And the others all chimed in that it
was. Perfectly, dreadfully, awful" they said.
| well, how long will the dresses bel" asked
| one of the callers. Eighteen inches from the
| floor demurely answered one of the chorus
| girls. looking roguisnly at her sisters, who
| seemed shocked. and at her mother. who half
| laughed, half frowned on the mschlevous retort
The intellectual young lady with the eyeglasses
| merely sat still and said. "Oh. oh, N.Y.
| Then the mother explained that all the talk
| about the gowns OF the chorus girls was caused
| bY tho r0tlrem0nt from the of a adj
| whose father was a clergyman, and who object
| ed to the appearance on the stage of a young
| woman not actress in short skirts. No one
| outside the girls themselves and those in charge
| of the cast know how far up or how far own
| the dresses OF the chorus are to 90. There was
no talk at any rehearsal about eleven inches
/ or thirteen or eighteen as the limit
Some of the young benefactors OF the Girls
| Friendly Society tried to solve the stupendous
| problem OF how much or how little cloth they
| shall use by attending 1.-THE Gypsy Baron" at
| Miners Newark Theater. There they saw the
| dark haired gypsies in gowns that reached, some
only as far as the knee others to the ankle, but
all proportional to the figures they clad, and not
| one violating the properties, even though the
| prima donnas skirts were full eighteen inches
from the soles of her twirling feet.
| All the seats for the church peoples singing OF
the opera are sold, and few enthusiasts who
bought more than they wanted are selling them
| over again for the benefit OF the cause. Tickets
that cost 81 80 originally are going fast at S.
and 81 each, and $75 has been offered for box.
The theater will seat 2, 500 persons and has held
$500 on pinch. The chorus girls will probably
have 4. 900 people there to look upon Them and
there is talk even now of a second performance
being requested.
"One thing is certain" declared one of the
young ladies of the chorus a of the callers
left ..thera won't be any ballet, Whatever there
may be- Really, was asked by young mar
last night if the chorus were not coming on il
regular ballet costume"